Corn butting and husking mechanism



April 5, 1932 W. W. MORRAL. 1,852,328

CORN BUTTING AND- HUSXING MECHANISM Filed May 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet lilllllllllllll ATToFe/VEY /NVEA/ToR. mu-n w/LL/AM w MHRAL. l

pril 5, 1932.

Wl w. MORRAL CORN BUTTING AND HUSKING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMay 16, 1928 /M W MORH l...

TTOFPNE'Y Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATLENT IQCE WILLIAM W.MORRAL, 0F MORRAL, `(1)1110 CORN BUTTING AND HUSKING MECHANISMApplication filed May 1G, 1928. Serial No. 278,212.

This invention relates to corn butting and arranged one above .theother, `and a third husking mechanisms and one object of the inroller.5a spaced laterally from fthe rollers. 5 vention is to provide acombined buttingand and having itsv axis in a plane extending Lhehuskingmechanism which will be simple in its tween the u'oller's 5. Theserollers :are proconstruction, compact in its arrangement, and vided withspiral grooves and the zarrange- "a5 efficient in opel-ation. nient issuch thatthey will `receivean eariof A further obj ect of the inventionis to procorn between the rollers and roller A.5.ay and vide such amechanism in which gravity will support the same in anuprightpositionwhile assist in the proper positioning and feeding they feed theearpast the butt removing de- 1H ofears of corn. vice. The rollers 5lare supportedat their 't0 Other objects of the invention will appearrear 'ends by suitable bearings onjtheinclined as the mechanism isdescribed in detail. portion ofthe frame andat their frontends In theaccompanying drawingsFig. l is a in bearings on an inclined supplementalside elevation of a butting and husking mechframe 6. Preferably thefeeding vroller .5a ii anismembodying my invention, partly in secismounted on pivoted brackets` 7 which zare fc5 tion; Fig. 2 is a planview of the butting mechacted upon by springs `8 which tend to fpressanism; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the the .movable rollertoward the other rollers line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a vertical secbutpermit the same to yieldsto accommodate tional view of aslightlymodified form of the the feedingl device to. ears of differentdiame- L invention, showing the butting and husking ters. Mounted abovethe feeding device isla To mechanism in elevation; Fig. 5 is a plan`View conveyor `adapted to deliver earsof `corn to of the device of Fig.et, partly in section; and the` gaging rollers and the feeding rollers,Fig. Gis a transverse sectional view of a porwhich, as here shown,comprises a :substantion of the machine showing a modifiedformtiallyhorizontal endlessbelt 9. .Mounted on J of feeding mechanism.thelowerportion of the iframe and in front To In these drawings l haveillustrated one of the gaging rollersis,apairofjhusliing `embodiment ofmy invention, together with rollers l0 which @are inclined downwardly aslight modilication thereof, but it will be and forwardly, the, rear`ends ofthesefrollers understood that this particular embodiment beingadjacent to vand preferably extending 11'? has been chosen for thepurposes of illustrabeneath the blades 4. tion only, and that themechanism may take The several parts of thermechanism may various formswithout departing from the be driven in anysuitable manner but,=,as herespirit of the invention. shown, -a main drive shaft `ll is :provided Asshown in Figs. l to 3, the machine comwith a belt` wheel l2' andhasgeared conneci prisesa main frame l the upper rear portion tion withtheshaft il?) ofone of the huskof which is in theform of a plate and isining `rollers and with uprightfshafts Mwhich clined forwardly andupwardly, as shown carry the rrotatable `blades .4. The shaft -13 at 2.Mounted on this inclined portion of extends beyond the rear end ofthe-frame the main frame are a pair of gaging niem- .and` is connectedbya sprocket chain lnwith P berswhicli are inclined forwardly and downtheshaft `16 of` oneof thegaging rollersy 3, 00 wardly and which preferablycomprise spiral the two rollers being geared oneto the other, rollers 3arranged side by side and adapted aslsliownwat "17. Theshaft V16 :isconnected to receive between them the butt end of an by a sprocketchainlS-with the shaft of one upright ear of corn. Arranged adjacent toofthe feeding` rollers 5t-hese-rollers also be- 45 the discharge end ofthe gaging rollers is ing geared one to the othersandftmthe roller H95 abutt removing device which, in the present 5a, as shown at 19. instance,comprises a pair of rotary blades In the operation of themachinetheears4. Mounted above the gaging rollers andthe of corn-are depositeid one ata time, butt forecutter isa feeding device, which in the presmost, onthe endless belt Qiand are discharged '59 ent instance, consists of apair of rollers 5 from the rear end of that belt onto theE-gag- 100 ingrollers, the upper portion 2 of the frame serving to deflect the buttends of the ears downward and to cause them to properly engage thegaging rollers. In this form of the device the ears pass between thefeeding members to engage the gaging rollers and both the gaging rollersand the feeding rollers act upon the ear to advance the same intocontact with the cutters. The feeding rollers carry the ear forwardafter the butt has been removed therefrom and cause it to be dischargedbeyond the cutter onto the inclined husking rollers 10 which remove thehusks therefrom as they are moved downwardly along the same by gravity.

If desired, means may also be provided for loosening the husks of theear to facilitate their removal by the husking rollers. In the presentinstance, I have mountedbetween the gaging rollers and the feedingrollers a pair of husking loosening members 66 in the form of forwardlyconverging longitudinal bars, the forward portions of which are providedwith teeth or prongs to engage and loosen the husks on the ear. Asshown, the husk loosening bars are mounted at their rear ends on themain frame, in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the axesof the two gaging rollers, and have their rea portions spaced apart sucha distance that the ear will move between the same into engagement withthe gaging rollers. As the ear is advanced by the feeding device thehusk will be yieldably engaged by the prongs on the forward portions ofthe bar.

In Figs.z4 and 5,1A have shown a slightly di'erent arrangement of themechanism and have illustrated a different type of feeding mechanism. Asthere sho-wn, the main frame 2O has an upwardly and forwardly inclinedrear portion or plate 21. Mounted in the part 21 of the main frame is apairof inclined gaging rollers 22 preferably of the spiral type andadjacent to the discharge end of these rollers is a cutter comprising apair of rotary blades 23. Mounted above the gaging rollers and thecutter is a feeding device which, in the present instance, alsocomprises two rotatable grooved members but shows these members in theform of drums or wheels 24 having peripheral grooves ein tendinglengthwise thereof, and providing the wheel with a series of ribs orblades 25 adapted to engage the ears of corn. These rotatable feedingmembers are spaced a'sufficient distance from the rear wall or deflectorplate 21 of the main frame to permit an ear of corn to pass between thesame and the frame into engagement with the gaging rollers. A conveyor26 is arranged above the feeding rollers and serves to deliver the earsbuttend foremost onto the gaging rollers in Vthe manner above described.The feeding devices are mounted on inclined axes so that they aresubstantially parallel with the gaging rollers and when the ear restsupon the gaging rollers it will tend to move forward by gravity intocontact with the feeding devices which will grip the same and move theear to and past the cutting edges of the cutter. As the ear passesbeyond the cutter it falls upon a chute 27 which delivers it onto a pairof inclined husking rollers 28 down which the ear moves by gravity whilethe husk is being removed therefrom.

The driving mechanism is somewhat differently arranged in this form ofdevice and the main driving shaft 29 extends transversely to the frameon the rear side thereof, is provided with a belt pulley 30 and hasgeared connection with the gaging rollers. In the present form ofmechanism the gaging rollers are yieldably mounted to permit them toaccommodate themselves to ears of different sizes. To this endtherollers are carried by bearings 55a slidably mounted in the frame andacted upon by springs 56 which tend to move the rollers one toward theother. The rollers are connected one to the other by spur gears 57, theyielding movement of the rollers not being'suflcient to move the gearsout of mesh. One of the gears 57 meshes with a spur gear 58 which isdriven by a beveled gear 32 which meshes with a beveled gear 31 on theshaft 29.

A sprocket chain 33 connects the shaft 29 v with a transverse shaft 34which is vconnected by beveled gears 35 with the shafts of the cutters23. The shaft 34 is connected by a sprocket chain 36 with a secondtransverse shaft 37 which is connected by beveled gears 38 with thehusking rollers and is Connected by other beveled gears 39 with uprightshafts 40 which are connected by sprocket chains 41 with shafts 42 whichcarry the feeding wheels 24, the shafts 42 and the upper ends of theshafts 40 being mounted in suitable bearings in supporting members orplates 43 carried by the main frame. The supporting members 43 aremounted for pivotal movement about the respective shafts 40 and restupon brackets 44 and 45, the brackets 45 being slotted as shown at 46 toreceive the shafts 42 of the drums 24 and permit the drums to have alimited movement toward and from each other. Springs 47 tend to move thedrums one toward the other. To prevent husks or small ears wedgingbetween the bearings at the lower ends of the husking rollers I havemounted a toothed wheel 48 at the lower end of the rollers and have soarranged the same that the teeth thereof will pass upwardly between thevbearings of the husking rollers to dislodge any lhusks or small earswhich may wedge between the same. This toothed wheel is driven by a belt49 from thel shaft 37. If desired, a husk loosening device may beprovided and I have here shown a pair of forwardly converging resilientbars 76 arranged between the feeding drums and the gaging rollers, thesebars being similar to husk loosening bars 66 heretofore described.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slightly modied form of the feeding deviceshown in Figs. l to 3. As here shown, the gaging rollers and thestationary feeding rollers 5l are arranged in the same manner as are thegaging rollers 3 and the feeding rollers 5 but I have substituted forthe laterally movable feeding roller 5a a flat faced bar 52 whichextends lengthwise of the feeding rollers 51 and is spaced laterallytherefrom so that the ear may be received between the rollers and thebar. The bar is yieldably mounted so that it will hold the ear firmly inContact with the feeding rollers but will yield to permit the passage ofears of different sizes. As here shown, the bar is carried by bracketsor arms 53 pivotally mounted on the frame and acted upon by springs 54which serve to press the bar toward the rollers. In this form of thedevice I have also shown a guideway or chute 55 arranged above thefeeding device to deliver the ear in an upright position to the feedingdevice and gaging rollers. The ears may be deposited in this chute byhand or in any suitable manner.

lVhile I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention Iwish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to thedetails thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilledin the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Leters Patent, is:

l. In a corn butting mechanism, a pair of forwardly and downwardlyinclined spiral gaging rollers, a butt removing device arranged adjacentto the discharge ends of said gaging rollers, a pair of rotatablefeeding members arranged above said gaging rollers and having parts toengage an ear of corn which is supported in an upright position on saidgaging rollers and move said ear of corn toward and past said buttremoving device, a substantially horizontal conveyor arranged above saidfeeding members, and a deflector to engage the rear end of an ear ofcorn as it is discharged from said conveyor and direct the same downwardin an upright position onto said gaging rollers.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a pair of gaging membersarranged side by side to receive the butt end of an upright ear of cornbetween them, a butt removing device arranged adjacent to the dischargeends of said gaging members, and rotatable grooved feeding membersmounted above said gaging members to receive an ear of corn between tionon said gaging members and move said ear along said gaging members andpast said butt removing device, and forwardly converging husk looseningmembers arranged between said gaging members and said feeding membersand having their rear portions spaced apart to permit the ear to passbetween the same into engagement with said gaging members.

3. In a corn butting mechanism, a butt removing device, a pair of gagingmembers to guide the butt end of an ear of corn into engagement withsaid butt removing device, a feeding device arranged above said gagingmembers to move said ear of corn toward said butt removing device, aconveyor to deliver an ear of corn to said feeding mechanism, and adeflector to cause said ear to be delivered in an upright position onsaid gaging members and to be engaged by said feeding device.

l. In a corn butting mechanism, a pair of gaging rollers, a buttremoving device arranged adjacent to the discharge ends of said gagingrollers, feeding members arranged above said gaging rollers and havingparts to engage an ear of corn which is supported in an upright positionon said gaging rollers and move said ear of corn toward and past saidbutt removing device, a continuous conveyor arranged above said feedingmembers, and means to engage the butt end of an ear of corn as it isdischarged from said conveyor and to direct the same downwardly in anupright position onto said gaging rollers.

5. In a corn butting mechanism, gaging members, a butt removing devicearranged adjacent to the discharge ends of said gaging members, a pairof rotatable feeding members arranged above said feeding members 105 andhaving parts to engage an ear of corn which is supported in an uprightposition on said gaging members and to move said ear of corn toward andpast said butt removing device, a continuous conveyor arranged 110 abovesaid feeding members, and means to engage the butt end of an ear of cornas it is discharged from said continuous conveyor and to direct the samedownwardly in an upright position onto said gaging members.

In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature hereto.

WILLIAM W. MORRAL.

